eir studies.

Two years passed, and Mr. and Mrs. Judson were still learning the
language. In September, 1815, a son was born to them, but to their
great grief he died eight months later, through want of medical
attention. When the child was buried, some forty Burmese and
Portuguese followed the body to the grave.

In December, 1815, Mr. and Mrs. Judson began to make known to the
people the Gospel they had come to Burma to preach. Until then they
had wisely refrained from doing so, knowing that mistakes they might
make in their speech would bring ridicule upon their religion. But now
that they were confident of their knowledge of the language they
started hopefully on the work of winning converts.

The time to which they had long looked forward had arrived, but the
success which they had expected was not achieved. The natives listened
attentively to everything Mr. or Mrs. Judson said to them, but their
answer was usually, 'Our religion is good for us, yours for you.' Some
laughed, good-humouredly, at the idea of the missionaries expecting
them to give up the religion of their forefathers for that of the white
_kalas_[1] from across the sea, and others declared that they were mad.
No one, however, suggested that they should be forbidden to attempt to
gain converts. It did not seem worth while interfering with them; for
what Burman living in sight of the Shway Dagon Pagoda, and near to the
monasteries where he had learnt the precepts of Guatama Buddha, would
even think of forsaking his religion?

This indifference of the Burmese was very disheartening to the Judsons,
and when a year had passed without their having made the slightest
impression upon any native they might well have been discouraged. But
this was far from being the case, and in October, 1816, they were able
to look forward with still greater confidence to seeing their labour
crowned with success. The printing press which they had long been
expecting arrived, and two Burmese tracts which Mr. Judson had prepared
were printed and circulated. One was a clear explanation of
Christianity, the other a translation of the Gospel according to
Matthew. The result of the wide distribution of these tracts was not
such as the Judsons had expected. One or two Burmans made a few
enquiries concerning the subject of the tracts, but when their
curiosity was satisfied they showed no further interest in the matter.
Three years of steady hard work followed. Mrs. J